Nevada Required Hazards
In Nevada, the permitting requirements for hazardous materials are regulated by the state's fire code, which adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) as the minimum standard for fire prevention and protection.
Under the IFC, anyone handling, storing, or transporting hazardous materials beyond certain thresholds is required to obtain a hazardous materials permit from the local fire department. For facilities in Nevada, this requirement is fulfilled by submitting a Tier II report.
As a result, Nevada's Tier II reporting requirements mandate additional hazard information for each chemical included in the report. This article discusses the categories of these Nevada-specific hazards and the criteria used to determine their applicability to a particular chemical. The necessary information for these determinations can be located on a chemical's Safety Data Sheet.
Hazard Class | Criteria in the IFC | Example |
Combustible | Any material that is not a flammable solid, a compressed gas, an explosive, or a flammable liquid, and that under normal conditions of storage, use or handling is capable of igniting and burning so as to create a hazard. | Wood, paper, cloth, plastics, certain chemicals |
Corrosives | A material that causes visible destruction or irreversible alteration in living tissue or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum. | Sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide |
Flammable | A liquid that has a flash point below 100°F (37.8°C), or a solid that is capable of causing fire through friction, absorption of moisture, or spontaneous chemical changes and burns so vigorously and persistently that it creates a hazard. | Gasoline, propane, butane, ether, acetone |
Inert Material/Gas | A material that is incapable of supporting combustion or burning, or which will not react with other materials under normal conditions of temperature and pressure. | Nitrogen, argon, helium |
Oxidizing Materials | A material that may cause or contribute to the combustion of other materials by providing oxygen, either directly or by undergoing a chemical change, and that is not itself necessarily combustible. | Hydrogen peroxide, ammonium nitrate, potassium permanganate |
Radioactive | A material that emits ionizing radiation, which can cause damage to living organisms or other materials. | Uranium, plutonium, cesium-137 |
Unstable (Reactive) Materials | A material that is capable of rapid or violent reaction, decomposition, or polymerization, which can release energy or hazardous gases, or which can cause an explosion or fire. | Peroxides, chlorates, nitrates |
Explosive Materials | A material that is capable of rapidly releasing energy, either by combustion or detonation, which can cause damage to surrounding materials or living organisms. | TNT, dynamite, gunpowder |
Highly Toxic Materials | A material that is capable of causing serious harm or death through ingestion, inhalation, or contact with living organisms. | Cyanide, arsenic, mercury |
Organic Peroxides | A material that contains an oxygen-oxygen bond, which can decompose rapidly and release heat or hazardous gases. | Benzoyl peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide |
Pyrophoric Materials | A material that can ignite spontaneously in air at or below a temperature of 130°F (54.4°C). | White phosphorus, sodium hydride |
Toxic Materials | A material that is capable of causing harm or injury to living organisms through ingestion, inhalation, or contact. | Lead, asbestos, benzene |
Water-reactive Materials | A material that can react vigorously or explosively with water or moisture, which can release heat or hazardous gases. | Sodium, potassium, lithium |